Tuesday, September 20, 2016

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westerngazette.ca TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • WESTERN UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER • VOLUME VOLUME 110, ISSUE 6 remembering harambe since 1906

WESTERN FIGHTS OFF RANSOMEWARE ATTACK PG3

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YOUR MUST-SEES OF FALL TV PG10

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2 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

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JOSEPH MASELLIS

Volume 110, Issue 06 WWW.WESTERNGAZETTE.CA University Community Centre Rm. 263 Western University London, ON, CANADA N6A 3K7 Editorial 519.661.3580 Advertising 519.661.3579

HAMZA TARIQ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HAMZATARIQ_

KATIE LEAR PRINT MANAGING EDITOR @KATIELEAR_

BRADLEY METLIN DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @BRADLEYMETLIN

T

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

To bee, or not to bee, that is the question.

NEWS SABRINA FRACASSI MOSES MONTERROZA RITA RAHMATI CULTURE SAMAH ALI ELLIS KOIFMAN AMY SKODAK ANNIE RUETER CULTURE-AT-LARGE RICHARD JOSEPH SPORTS CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE MIKE DEBOER CLAIRE PALMER MULTIMEDIA MAAILAH BLACKWOOD JENNY JAY AARON MALLETT NATALIE TREFFRY

CONNOR CLARK GRAPHICS DANIEL BODDEN SENIOR GRAPHICS JORDAN MCGAVIN FEATURES & GRAPHICS AMY O’KRUK WESTERN TV CONNOR MATTHEW MALBEUF COPY DANIELLE GERRITSE OPINIONS HALA GHONAIM COLUMNISTS JUSTIN DI CAMILLO MARWA HASSAN JACEK ORZYLOWSKI

DIGITAL MEDIA

GAZETTE ADVERTISING & COMPOSING IAN GREAVES, MANAGER ADVERTISING DIANA WATSON

SENIOR STAFF GRACE TO AMAL MATAN ELLA PURTILL

COMPOSING MAJA ANJOLI-BILIĆ ROBERT ARMSTRONG

JESSICA WOOLSON MICHAEL CONLEY OREN WEISFELD ZEHRA CAMILLERI

WESTERNGAZETTE

UWOGAZETTE

@UWOGAZETTE

WESTERNGAZETTE

Joseph Masellis is a fourth-year media, information and technoculture student who was raised in Markham. But you might know him better as Bernard: the boy was who was raised by bees.

WESTERNTV

“That was my favourite part, not being in front of the camera, but hanging out with the producers and the writers and director,” Joseph said. “I was involved with the creative process, which was the most fun I had with that commercial. Sitting in the writer’s room and giving my own ideas that made into the viral videos.”

When Joseph was in the sixth grade, he became the face of Honeycomb cereal starring in dozens of commercials and viral videos over the span of four years.

After starring in an elementary school production of Peter Pan, Joseph’s mother started taking him to commercial auditions. At the time, the biggest benefit he saw of going out to auditions was getting pulled out of class.

Joseph got his big break after only a handful of auditions.

The Honeycomb commercial called for boys aged 10-14 years old with long hair. Check and check.

As Joseph and his mother sat in the waiting room, they noticed parents messing up their aspiring stars’s hair to give them a more “wild” look. To Joseph’s surprise his mother pulled hairspray out of her purse and began messing up his hair as well.

This past summer Joseph interned at Entertainment Tonight Canada alongside host Rick Campanelli. Of all the famous people Joseph met during his internship, actor and writer Dan Aykroyd stood out most. While doing an interview at ET Canada, Aykroyd spoke out against the poor treatment of Leslie Jones and racism.

“He goes on this 10 minute rampage about people from the south and their racist tendencies and Donald Trump,” Joseph said. “It was the best because I was just standing behind the studio, helping behind the camera that day, watching this guy go nuts.”

When applying for universities, Joseph knew he wanted to get into Western’s MIT program, but was one per cent shy of the recommended minimum average. Still determined to get into the MIT program, Joseph went to Huron then made his way to main campus second-year by attaining a high average.

When he went into the audition room, the director asked him to pretend to be a bee — something Joseph had understandably never done before. At the end of the audition, the director told him he was the only boy he’d seen who demonstrated the “bee vibe,” and the rest was history.

Although starring in commercials might not be a part of Joseph’s future, he had a good run and will, hopefully, be able to make commercials of his own one day.

Before returning to Western this year, Joseph was going through some old items in his house and came across a Honeycomb cereal box that he was featured on.

“Being creative for the rest of my life, I think that’s what stimulates me more than anything else,” Joseph said.

After a while, Joseph became an Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists member and was sent on more auditions. But balancing auditions and school work became too much for Joseph to handle and he stopped.

Ironically, Joseph doesn’t eat cereal anymore as milk upsets his stomach. But if he had to choose a cereal brand today, he’d choose Honey Nut Cheerios.

■■RITA RAHMATI

Although he no longer stars in commercials, the Honeycomb commercial was just the start of a long

EVENTS CALENDAR • WEEK OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 TUESDAY • 20

WEDNESDAY • 21

THURSDAY • 22

FRIDAY • 23

SATURDAY • 24

SUNDAY • 25

Baseball

Men’s Lacrosse VS. BROCK 20:45

WASA ANNUAL ACF CAMPING TRIP

Women’s Tennis VS. MONTREAL 9:00

Women’s Soccer VS. YORK 12:00

Men’s Tennis

Men’s Soccer VS. YORK 14:15

VS. YORK WESTERNGAZETTE

journey into the advertising world. Now an MIT student, Joseph hopes to work in advertising — behind the scenes.

17:00

BRANT CONS. AREA,

Sept 23–25, 17:00

VS. MONTREAL

12:00

Baseball

VS. GUELPH

12:00

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The Gazette is owned and published by the University Students’ Council.

HIGH 26 LOW 13

HIGH 27 LOW 17

HIGH 28 LOW 19

TODAY

TOMORROW

THURSDAY

MONDAY • 26

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • 3

news

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES $300 MILLION HIGHRISE

JORDAN MCGAVIN GAZETTE

Western attacked by ransomware scam MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ On Sept, 14 a case of ransomware was detected on an administrator’s computer in the Support Services Building. Luckily, Western was able to mitigate the situation immediately.

Usually when a person asks for a ransom, we imagine a ski-mask clad villain awaiting a briefcase full of cash while holding some poor soul hostage. Rarely do we think of a hacker holding data in exchange for money.

It’s commonly known as ransomware and it’s becoming an increasingly popular and lucrative tool used by hackers to extort institutions and businesses.

Jeff Gardiner, central information security officer at Western’s Information Technology Services, explains how it works.

“Typically what happens is that a specific type of virus infects a

machine,” Gardiner said. “The virus targets data and encrypts the data, it sends a message to the user that if you want your data back you’ve got to pay us money.”

ITS was able to catch the ransomware through anti-virus protection.

Once detected, the security team took immediate steps to isolate the machine, boot it off the network, diagnose the problem, and finally disinfected the machine.

Though, even if data was encrypted, Western’s robust backup services would have been able to supplement lost data immediately, according to Gardiner.

Others aren’t so lucky. Just a few months ago, the University of Calgary was caught in a ransomware scam and was forced to pay $20,000 in exchange for lost data, showing on how lucrative this sketchy business can be.

Gardiner said that statistically speaking, only about 50 per cent of people who pay the ransom get their

data back. What’s more, these kinds of attacks rarely get reported.

“It does happen regularly and it does happen more frequently,” Gardiner said. “More disturbingly, it often goes unreported. I think when people realize their data has been victimized by malware, the natural reaction is not to report it.”

Finding the culprit of ransomware scams can be difficult. In some cases people unknowingly download or click on infected files in fake emails, typically called phishing scams. In other cases it can be through a mechanism called drive-by downloads, which are sometimes initiated by virus ridden websites packed with malware.

Ransomware has become increasingly lucrative. According to CSO Online, a single ransomware author and distributor was able to cobble $121 million in ransomware payments, netting $94 million after expenses.

London city council approved a $300 million dollar construction project in downtown London last Tuesday.

Rygar Properties Inc. proposed construction of a 750-unit residential tower highrise, which would be the tallest building in London.

Although London’s planning and environment committee was pushing to refer the project for a closer review, the city council rejected the referral in a 12-2 vote.

Some members of the community are concerned with the decision, as it will require a demolition of historical Victorian-era townhouses, also known as Camden Terrace.

London city Councillor Stephen Turner, who voted for the review of project’s proposal, said that the construction would require a 140 year-old, six-unit row house to be demolished.

According to Councillor Turner, the London public is split on the issue.

“In general I think I’ve had mixed feedback,” Turner said. “I don’t think anyone expected the whole building to be retained, but it should be better incorporated.”

Turner pointed out that the main point of debate is whether or not the preservation of the historical buildings are adequate.

“At least the components of the building have to be retained and need to be incorporated into the new building,” Turner said. “The building that is 140 years old is important to the history of London.”

On the other hand, Turner thinks that the tower has a number of benefits to it as it demonstrates prosperity in London’s downtown area, as many people are interested in living there.

In Turner’s opinion, this discussion will be applicable to more than just the proposed project.

“As a whole, the city needs to reflect on this debate and take a good look at the policies we have in place,” Turner said.

■■ANDREY PETROPAVLOVSKIY

TAYLOR LIBRARY GETTING MAKEOVER

The new school year has just started and students are already returning to their favourite on-campus study spots. Unfortunately, one of Western’s popular study hangouts is temporarily unavailable.

Science students and regulars of Taylor Library came back after the summer to find that the main floor of the library has been blocked off due to construction.

Brandon Watson, Facilities Management communications officer, stated in an email that the renovations will include new floors, lights, furniture and more power outlets.

The first phase of the renovations for the library was completed in the summer of 2015. Last year, students were treated to large study booths and new study rooms that were complete with media tables on the main floor.

The current renovation phase began this summer and is projected to be completed in October.

Although the main floor of Taylor Library remains mostly inaccessible, all regular library services and other floors of the library are still open.

“Construction is expected to be wrapped up by the end of next week, with furnishings beginning to arrive shortly after,” said Watson. “There will be no disruption to the campus community due to the construction phase of this project during midterms. The space is expected to be complete … and reopened around the middle of October.”

As there’s one less accessible study space until mid-October, some students have concerns that it may affect the availability of decent study spots for early midterm testing or collaborative group work.

Ian Bagnas, third-year health sciences student who frequents Taylor Library for a few hours every day, says that he isn’t too concerned about the impact of renovations on study time.

“Only when I’m with a group of friends,” said Bagnas when asked if he uses the main floor. “I usually study downstairs … There is plenty of space downstairs, and if not, there is always UCC and Weldon.”

After Taylor Library wraps up its renovations, all campus libraries will be ready for the official exam season.

“Facilities Management has not been in discussions with Western libraries for related work at other libraries at this time,” reported Watson.

Students can rest easy at other campus libraries, and soon at Taylor Library, knowing that their study grind will not be interrupted.

■■GRACE TO

“Debt Clock” on UC Hill exhibits federal deficit SABRINA FRACASSI NEWS EDITOR @SABFRACASSI On your walk up UC Hill to class last week you may have noticed a huge ticking bus and wondered just what it was doing. That bus was a presentation from the Canadian Taxpayer Foundation which aimed at raising awareness on the federal debt problem here in Canada.

Generation Screwed is the youth wing of the CTF. This club is found on most universities around Canada and works to spread the message that the scale of both our federal and provincial debts are costing taxpayers an unprecedented amount of money.

Piercon Knezic, third-year political science student, is the campus coordinator of Generation Screwed at Western. He was on UC Hill Thursday morning asking for petition signatures for the cause.

“The goal for today is to sign my petition, send it over to Justin [Trudeau] and tell him, ‘hey you need to reign this in so that we can better prepare for future generations,’ ” he said.

The CTF is in the midst of embarking on its third annual “Debt Clock Campus Tour” where the CTF drives its big clock bus to 13 universities across Ontario and Quebec in a 10-day span.

Knezic compared Canada to Greece when explaining his concerns.

“I am afraid that this is going to get too big, interest payments are going to go up, we’re not going be able to afford it and all of a sudden social institutions aren’t being funded, non-government organizations and intergovernmental organizations aren’t being funded,” he explained. “The interest payment of this debt alone could fund Western for 30 years. I

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

would really like to see this gone.”

Unfortunately for those who wanted to check out what this is all about, the bus left Thursday at 11:30 a.m. to make its way to Waterloo.

“Generally, I just want people to get involved. I want people to come out, learn about what generation screwed is and maybe get involved more on campus,” Knezic said.

Solution to puzzle on page 11

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4 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

sports

•

Weekend Sports Review

MEREDITH WANG SHE’S GOT HER EYE ON THE BALL. Riley Cunningham prepares to hit the ball at the Women’s Softball game Friday night.

MEREDITH WANG GIVE HER 5.

Robyn Wood congratulates her teammates on a well deserved win.

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE SUN’S OUT, STICKS OUT. Tristan Simeoni (#27) scores the 16th goal for the Mustangs.

NATALIE TREFFRY GAZETTE GOING FOR THE GOAL. Emma Bertucci prepares to block a shot from a Guelph Gryphon during the Women’s Lacrosse game Saturday.

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE ALL EYES ON ME. The Mustangs defence remains ready to pounce as a Laurentian attacker prepares to go to the net.

NATALIE TREFFRY GAZETTE JUMP BALL. Hayley Liske and her fellow defender try to win the ball against a pack of Gryphons.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • 5

insightopinions

London is full of potential — we just need to channel it Moses Supposes

MOSES MONTERROZA NEWS EDITOR @MOSESMONTZ Ever since I started following the London Free Press on Facebook, my wall has been plastered with some of the most harrowing and gruesome stories. From hilarious scandals to flat out hate charged attacks on minorities, I was beginning to feel like our beloved Forest City was devolving into a grungy crime haven.

Honestly, sometimes it can feel like this town is moving backwards. I mean, not long ago there were headlines that read “London, Ontario’s Mayor Steps Down After Being Caught Banging Deputy Mayor.” It’s like we’re becoming this cartoonish, loony town full of racists, drug dealers and extremists hell-bent on doing whatever the hell they want.

But it’s not true. London is practically brimming with untapped potential and what’s crazy is that we all know it is. We know that we can modernize this city, improve its culture and remedy the years of discrimination and racism, but for whatever reason nothing seems to happen, or so it seems.

That’s why I decided to do something productive for once. I ventured to the farthest reaches of London and talked with some of our most astute and progressive millennials about what they think this city needs. If the older generation makes you weary of London’s future, the younger one will definitely quell those fears with hope and idealism.

WHAT DO YOU THINK LONDON SHOULD FOCUS ON? I love London, to the point where I don’t want to leave to any city to continue my education, masters and what-not. It has a lot of potential, a lot of people listening and waiting to bring their ideas. For example, there’s a lot of cities in different countries that will have community centers with fabrication labs for all kinds of people, talented people.

So employers can scope out new talents that help London to grow bigger.

— Moath Nabeel Abuaysha, third-year Computer science

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING LONDON BACK THE MOST? I would say, one of the things that kind of holds London back the most is just, sometimes there’s a narrative in the city that London’s not a good city, or that people want to leave after they’re here, or that people want to leave for school because they don’t think that the city is that great. I definitely think there’s still work to be done of course, like there is in every city.

But I think part of that narrative keeps people from seeing the really cool things that are happening in the city and the people who are really trying to create positive change in the city I think often get overlooked if we were focusing on the negative narrative of London.

— Kayley MacGregor, fourthyear, social justice and peace studies WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING LONDON BACK? I get the feeling that most Londoners don’t see how decisions are being made. Like there’s almost a perception among a lot of Londoners that there’s a lull between them and what’s really happening. I’m not sure, to what extent I agree with that. I think a lot of the silos that we face in London are perceptual rather than functional and they have to do with a lack of willingness to collaborate rather than ability to collaborate.

A lack of interest or know-how in connecting people who will feel the impact of those decisions to those decisions themselves For instance, if you talk to Londoners on the streets they probably couldn’t tell you the first thing about how a housing development is approved for instance. And housing a huge part of everyone’s lives — Ben Charlebois WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING LONDON BACK? I think it’s just lack of courage. I just think that the city has a lot of opportunities and I think it takes more leadership and courage to have a clear vision for the future and to be able to take the city into the future. I just think that we’re risk averse, we’re scared. We move slow so I think we just need bold leadership and strength and fortitude and just move towards the future on a faster scale than we have before. So I think that’s the biggest problem. We’re way too risk averse, we have like an inferiority complex. That’s what I would say is the biggest problem.

— Amir Farahi

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Diversity in the classroom adds to everyone’s experience

BY GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD At Western, there is a gender disparity in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies as well as arts and humanities — women outnumber men two-to-one.

to recruit girls at a young age to increase gender balance, it may be time for the more female-dominated faculties to do the same with boys.

Why do more women flock to these faculties while the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) discipline attract men? Societal expectations and cultural norms dictate that some subjects are masculinized and feminized.

Science camps that cater to young girls are now seen as a way to encourage a change in norms. This is something that starting earlier and earlier. Perhaps encouraging more young boys to embrace the arts and media studies would help shift perceptions.

FIMS and arts feature more critical thinking and abstract reasoning while STEM fields are more about objective answers. The subjectivity inherent in many of these faculty’s classes seem to have led to them being branded as lighter-weight and thus, more likely to have female students.

But why should we even strive to achieve gender parity in every faculty?

We need to change the way we think about some of these more subjective disciplines. Just because something can’t be boiled down to right or wrong doesn’t mean it’s easier. Obviously engineering students have more hours of class on their schedules but that doesn’t make it more important than FIMS or arts.

This thinking is problematic but it’s not something that can be fixed overnight or even in the last year of high school when grade 12 students fill out their university applications.

While faculties that have historically been dominated by men are beginning to make a concerted effort

Well, it changes the way we learn, particularly in courses where discussion drives the teaching.

Imagine a homogenous group with the same lived experiences discussing an issue — it’s limiting.

Having people of all genders in the room can add to the diversity of the voices, adding to the amount of perspectives students hear.

With this in mind, we should also consider how people of colour also add to our educational experience and strengthen understanding on topics based on their different lived experiences than white people.

Changing the way we think about certain subject matters won’t happen with the snap of a finger but FIMS and arts could benefit from having more men in the room and all faculties could benefit with more a diverse student body.

HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING ON CAMPUS? Write a letter to the editor! editor@westerngazette.ca

KELLY SAMUEL GAZETTE

Editorials are decided by a majority of the editorial board and are written by a member of the editorial board but are not necessarily the expressed opinion of each editorial board member. All other opinions are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USC, The Gazette, its editors or staff. To submit a letter, go to westerngazette.ca and click on “Contact.”

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6 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

feature

•

THE GENDERING

BY AMY SKODAK

There has always been a gendering of disciplines. Typically, I think those identified as being less important or less heavy weight have been identified as being feminine or female.”

TIM BLACKMORE MIT PROFESSOR

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • 7

feature

G OF DISCIPLINES

M

oving into Delaware hall in first year, Josh Camson set out to meet his floormates like any excited freshmen would. He was in luck too, because five of his neighbours were also in the Media, Information and Technoculture program. Smirking, the now second-year MIT major admits that he was lucky in another kind of way; all five of them were girls.

This guy/girl ratio transferred to Camson’s lectures as well.

"It was exactly what I expected,” he says. “A lot of girls and not too many guys in the class.”

Third-year MIT student, Adam Keshavjee, had a similar experience during his first-year orientation.

“There were maybe ten of us guys who walked into class together, and we were the minority,” he explains.

While both guys feel as if these numbers are in their favour, the gender imbalance in the program creates a cause for questions.

Last year, MIT tallied 186 male students compared to 738 females — just 20 per cent male enrolment. And that number is dropping. While female enrolment in MIT has increased since 2005, the number of guys enrolled in the program has declined, staying well below a 250 male headcount. But it’s not just a phenomenon in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.

In the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the ratio’s also skewed: in 2015-16, there were 282 men compared to 839 women between all affiliated programs.

The data shows girls have always outnumbered guys by at least twice as much in the arts since 2000.

“I had always heard that Arts was dominated by women, but I didn’t realize the ratio at which they outnumbered us,” says Martin Allen, a second-year English major.

Looking back, the liberal arts’ equilibrium hasn’t always been so out of whack. Western English professor, David Bentley, suggests this imbalance wasn’t always so heavy and that the shift started happening in the 60s or 70s.

“When I was in school there had been a relative equality in the Arts and Humanities between males and females. Then suddenly, the males sort of migrated out.”

So what's going on?

THE GENDERING OF DISCIPLINES

It's not news that some university degrees are deemed more girly or macho. Theories abound, and Western professors are also weighing in.

MIT professor Tim Blackmore speculates that the gender imbalance has a lot to do with students’ societal impressions.

“What’s going on is that there has always been a gendering of disciplines,” he says. “Typically, I think those identified as being less important or less heavy weight have been identified as being feminine or female.”

Bentley agrees. He argues that this gendered comparison is just one example that our society is full of hidden assumptions about what men and women should and shouldn’t do. While popular culture portrays women as caregivers, men are the pursuers of engineering, sciences and technology.

“There’s still this weird stereotype that’s embedded in our language,” says Bentley. “We

talk about the ‘hard sciences’ as if that’s masculine and we talk about the ‘soft sciences’ with a softness that is stereotypically women.”

It's a reality male MIT students have learned to live with. And unfortunately, it’s something that comes with a handful of stereotypes as well.

Allan explains that his own friends assume his program is easy and pointless, implying men in the liberal arts as “lazy” for not doing something “real.” Camson adds that any guy enrolled in MIT can even have their sexual orientation questioned, admitting that “gay” is a term thrown around often when describing the guys in his program.

“I think it’s just because of the very prevalent female presence and the stigma,” Camson says.

“Sometimes guys end up taking the heat for that and end up taking on those stereotypes as well.”

Based on Alex Petk’s experience, there also seems to be a gender-reversed version of “slut-shaming” going on. The second-year history and philosophy major says that a reoccurring statement is, “guys only go into the liberal arts to get laid.”

While our generation may have developed a thick skin to this sort of stigma, these assumptions only continue to fuel a negative view of men in the arts.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

This way of thinking goes hand in hand with the notion that any skills within the umbrella of liberal arts are less practical and yield fewer degree opportunities. For the male students currently enrolled, they’re confused as to why more guys don’t see the career potential that the liberal arts hold for both men and women.

"I was never super pressured to join a STEM [science, technology, engineering or medicine] field, but I could see how other guys would want to be like their dad or whatever,” says Alex Petk, a second-year double major in philosophy and history. “One of the stereotypes is that guys go into the arts because it’s easier, but it’s not.

There’s a lot more reading.”

Dean of Arts and Humanities, Michael Milde, also doesn’t understand why there is such a resistance to the humanities by male students.

“I think our society is doing a disservice to young men by giving them a message that somehow arts and humanities is not for them,” Milde says. “It’s certainly something that is on my radar here and we’re trying our best to figure out how this can be corrected because I think it’s a societal impact that we’re going to regret.”

According to Milde, students have become more concerned with careers since 2009 and the rhetoric around the arts and humanities is that it is not a career-focused degree, which, he hastens to add, is a mistake.

Associate dean and MIT professor, Susan Knabe, has a background in science, but she claims that there is a lack of understanding around the transferable skill set that a liberal arts degree cultivates.

“I will say that I found sciences much, much easier than the work that I do here,” Knabe admits. “I think the kind of work we offer our students is hugely rewarding and actually life-affirming and life-changing.”

LOOKING FORWARD

Knabe explains that while it’s unfortunate so many people connect MIT to “pink-collared”

jobs, she’s not sure the gender imbalance is as much of a problem to require a change in outreach to attract men. She says this is because FIMS has made it clear that it is a welcoming space for both men and women; something Blackmoore largely agrees with.

“Men have been encouraged, damn it; and they’ve been told they’re welcome and they have to decide,” Blackmore says.

Blackmoore explains that while he loves the class participation that comes from his female students, it’s a shame that more men don’t see the value in programs like MIT and the humanities.

“What men have decided about MIT is that this is effectively a women’s field which is unimportant and not about power,” adds Blackmore. “Okay well, that’s too bad for them.”

But second-year MIT student, Julia Sebastian, is skeptical that things will change for the better anytime soon.

“The more that ratio continues from year to year, the more that kind of conditions who decides to sign up for these programs in following years” she says.

And although many male students in FIMS and the Arts and Humanities alike agree that feeling outnumbered by girls in class has become the norm, most stand by their degree of choice.

"There's a lot of stuff that’s being overlooked and this program is very underrated in what possibilities there are coming out of it” admits Keshavjee, who is looking forward to using his MIT education toward law school, business or marketing and advertising.

Keshavjee's opinion prove popular among liberal arts students of all genders. As stated by Milde,“The breadth of a liberal arts education is something that will last a lifetime and will be to the benefit of all students.”

Maybe as more male graduates in the liberal arts challenge the stereotypes and make a living from their degree, male enrolment rates will rise.

But until then, at least students like Camson can look forward to female-dominated classes and less competition for dates.

First-entry undergraduate faculties 2014/15 Arts & Humanities

Female

Business

Male

Engineering Health Sciences Information & Media Studies Music Science Social Science

0

1

2

3

4

Thousands

5

6

7

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8 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

sports

•

Merchant solid as Mustangs starting QB MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE The term “quarterback controversy” is often thrown around in the football media world. Anytime a backup throws for 200 yards and two touchdowns while the starter struggles, a “quarterback controversy” arises.

The Western Mustangs did not have a “quarterback controversy”.

They had, and have, two quarterbacks who can make plays; two quarterbacks who can hit receivers down field; two quarterbacks who can be mobile when needed to be.

So when Chris Merchant, who transferred to Western from the University at Buffalo this summer, took every single snap behind centre for the Mustangs on Saturday against Queen’s, the quarterback question was answered.

For now.

Merchant has been incredibly efficient this season. For a team like the Mustangs that relies heavily on a ground-and-pound running attack, having a solid game manager like Chris Merchant is crucial.

He’s 33-for-50 through the first half of the season, for 571 passing yards and seven touchdowns. And zero interceptions.

Merchant’s main opposition for the starting gig, Stevenson Bone, is 29-for-50 for 313 yards this season, with one passing touchdown.

Bone has by no means played himself out of the starting gig. But in an eight-game season with little room for error, Merchant has earned the number one spot.

“I think things are really starting to come along and roll a little bit,” said Merchant on how he feels in the offence. “I think I’m starting to earn the trust of both the coaches and all

AARON MALLETT GAZETTE

the players. I’ll just continue to get better each week and try to learn and stop making the little mistakes that I continue to make.”

The rain fell heavily on Kingston in the second half, forcing the Mustangs to take to the ground on offence. Merchant played a limited role, going 6-for-13 for 65 yards, his lowest yardage total of the season.

While it was hard to get a rhythm

going he was still happy to see the team get the win.

“It was kind of a weird game,” said Merchant. “In terms of how much it stopped and went and it was definitely hard to get a rhythm with both the weather and all the TV commercials. But it was a good learning experience for the team .

I thought we ran the ball great and our offensive line played well so we

need to continue to strive to get better each week and continue to execute our plays.”

Defensive back Malcolm Brown also see’s Merchant becoming more comfortable behind centre.

“He looked really confident to me,” said Brown on Merchant’s performance in Kingston. “I believe coach Marshall wanted to establish the run game, especially considering

the weather where it wasn’t pouring in the first half but in the second half it became a grind, it was pouring out there. I believe he had a really strong start, he looked really confident back there, he looked poised.

He knew what he was doing and looked solid.”

OUA needs a major overhaul - stat CLAIRE PALMER SPORTS EDITOR @CLAIREATGAZETTE

TAYLOR LASOTA GAZETTE

Mustangs spoil Queen’s opener with 27-13 win MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE It was a momentous occasion in Kingston on Saturday as the Queen’s Golden Gaels officially unveiled their new and improved football facility, Richardson Stadium.

However the Western Mustangs were there to spoil the moment for their rivals as they improved to 3-1 on the season with a 27-13 win.

The running attack shredded apart the Gaels’ defence for 329 yards, spearheaded by an incredible 198 yard performance for Alex Taylor. It was Taylor’s third game of the season with over 140 yards.

Taylor now leads the Ontario University Athletics in both rushing yards (527) and touchdowns (five), entrenching himself firmly in the

Hec Creighton Award conversation for national player of the year.

For the second straight game Western got off to a quick start, this week with quarterback Chris Merchant finding Myles Rombough for a 17-yard touchdown pass on the Mustangs first drive.

The Mustangs defence came up big, forcing four turnovers in the game. Hakeem Johnson recorded his first career interception in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport league with a perfectly-timed interception of Queen’s quarterback Nate Hobbs in the Western endzone.

Malcolm Brown and Mackenzie Ferguson also recorded interceptions in the game in what was a strong performance for the Mustangs secondary.

The question of who will be the Mustangs’ starting quarterback

was answered this game as Chris Merchant played the entirety of Saturday’s game. After three games of alternating with Stevenson Bone, Merchant appears to have finally earned the starting spot in his first season at Western.

Merchant had a quiet 6-for-13 performance in what amounted to a game manager role on Saturday.

He scrambled well for 64 yards on nine rushes and a touchdown.

The first half of the season is now over for the Mustangs who will move into a toughest part of their schedule. Next Saturday they travel to Guelph to take on the defending Yates Cup champion Gryphons.

Then it’s a treacherous threegame stretch against No. 7 ranked Laurier, No. 8 Ottawa and No. 9 McMaster.

It’s time take a close look at which sports are in the OUA. Most of Western’s 46 varsity clubs and teams compete in the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) conference; but the key word here is most. The OUA doesn’t recognize every sport and as a result these sports have to compete in their own separate leagues.

The list of OUA sports certainly has its fair share of snubs and head scratchers. Nordic skiing is one of the included OUA sports, despite the fact that only nine schools participate out of the 20 that are members of the OUA. So by extension athletes only need to participate in one event in order to qualify for the championship simply because there are so few participants.

Meanwhile, sports like men’s lacrosse are not a part of the OUA or the Canada Interuniversity Sport.

Lacrosse, which is Canada’s national summer sport, is not recognized by one of the biggest athletic associations in the country. Lacrosse is considered the fastest running sport, and has more of a fan base and following than Nordic skiing.

And even women’s lacrosse is recognized by the OUA, but not yet at the national level. Why are sports like men’s lacrosse being snubbed

while sports like Nordic skiing are considered OUA-caliber sports? Out of both of Canada’s national sports, one is completely supported by the CIS and the OUA, while the other one is barely even a footnote.

The OUA also has a problem with lopsided leagues, where schools can become perennial powerhouses that dominate and destroy teams by massive margins.

Games like this just aren’t entertaining, and it’s hard to cheer on your team without feeling somewhat guilty if they’re already up 10-0. Why does the OUA allow for sports like this to flourish while denying more equally competitive sports OUA status?

There are sports, such as powderpuff football, that have seen crazy growth in the last few years, and yet they aren’t even granted varsity club status at their respective schools. This makes it much harder to become established in the OUA. However it’s quite a popular sport, with most schools such as McMaster being able to field more than one team.

Western itself has a 40-person roster. As well, Ultimate Frisbee is one of the faster growing sports in North America, and is another sport snubbed from the OUA list.

The OUA needs to take a look at the list of the sports that they offer, and make adjustments.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • 9

sports

Western rowing team prepares for victory MIKE DEBOER SPORTS EDITOR @MIKEATGAZETTE

Western rugby gets new head coach in Tom Dolezal OREN WEISFELD SENIOR STAFF @GAZETTESPORTS Tom Dolezel is a true competitor.

The new head coach of the Western men’s rugby team has a wealth of rugby knowledge and experience and is ready to utilize his resources to revamp a struggling Mustangs program.

Dolezel always wanted to become a professional athlete. Growing up playing rugby, football and basketball, Tom was eventually forced to choose the oh-so prestigious Western Football when he entered Western in 2004. Playing under head coach Larry Haylor, Dolezel was a two-time Ontario University Athletics all-star at defensive tackle and the recipient of a Purple Blanket Award.

“Honestly I felt like I could just get more out of football [than rugby],” Dolezel said of his decision to pursue football. “It was more of a selfish decision than anything…

At the time rugby just didn’t have the same sort of avenues as it does now… At the time I just wanted to play pro, be an athlete, so football was the way to go.”

Dolezel nearly achieved his goal of becoming a professional football player when he got a chance with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 2008, but was ultimately released just ahead of the season. Determined to continue pursuing his goal of

becoming a professional athlete, Dolezel returned to rugby.

“A lot of the guys I played rugby with [in the past] who I felt I was easily competitive with were on the national team so I thought hey, I’ll give it a go,” Dolezel casually explained. He began playing rugby in a professional league in New Zealand, and before he knew it he had impressed enough to find himself on a plane back home to join the Canadian national team.

Although injuries derailed his playing career with the Canadian national team, Dolezel never lost his competitive nature or passion for the sport, naturally turning to coaching to get his rugby fix.

“It’s like any competitive contact sport… you get to test yourself,” Dolezel said of his love for sport. “There’s not too many opportunities in life where you get to put yourself in a scenario where you have to give everything you’ve got and see what the outcome will be… With coaching, I think I can still hold on to that a little bit.”

After spending a season as an assistant coach with Western men’s rugby team, Dolezel is now the head coach of the team and has began a full overhaul of the program. His coaching is inspired by past coaches and colleagues including Larry Haylor, Greg Marshall, Gerry Slattery and past Team Canada coaches.

“My biggest strength is I’m pretty analytical,” Dolezel said of his coaching philosophy. “I don’t

rest on traditions... I do evaluations on all the players to make sure that when I’m planning things it’s based upon information.”

Aside from his analysis-based coaching, Dolezel plans to bring a competitive culture to Western rugby, which has traditionally been a very social environment.

“I don’t want to break that [social] rugby tradition,” Dolezel explained. “But now rugby is becoming a high performance sport around the world, and I have been through those high performance programs... I’m trying to bring that to Western rugby.”

Dolezel believes that his coaching, along with the resources he brought in including the great rugby minds of Sebastian Pierson, Wayne Stobie, Josh Campbell, and Jason Marshall, will help revamp the Western rugby program.

“I don’t think there is any team in the OUA that can say they have the wealth of coaching we have here,” Tom said.

Dolezel believes that if the Mustangs stick with the process they will soon be able to defeat their rival Queens, who have won the past four OUA golds, and become a true powerhouse in the OUA. Although it may not have been his goal when he began his first year as head coach, after spending time with the team and seeing the speed and talent first hand, OUA gold has become a real possibility in 2016.

As the dust settled on a difficult Rio Olympics for the Canadian rowing team, Dr. Volker Nolte returned to Western after coaching Team Canada, disappointed with the result but eager to bring his experiences back to the Mustangs program to lead it to another successful season.

Nolte has been one of the most forward-thinking members of the rowing community, willing to change with the times in order to allow Western to compete at a high level. It is this progressive mentality that has allowed the women’s team to win three straight provincial and national championships, and the men’s team to win two of the last three Canadian titles.

“Coming from an academic point of view I try to incorporate the most modern training methods and such,” says Nolte, an expert in biomechanics and sports engineering. “I obviously study the mechanics, boat technique and such things. Whenever I find evidence that certain things are better we obviously do it. We’re not waiting; we’re not questioning whatever it is. If the evidence is there we will implement it.”

Nolte’s work in the realm of oars and blades has allowed Western to take advantage of a superior type of oar to find success. It has been this willingness to adapt with the times, along with a hardworking, blue-collar organizational mentality that has brought Mustangs rowing to the top.

“Lots of work,” says Nolte on what makes the program so successful. “I think such a program is based on the people who are involved. I think we are blessed with a wonderful group of great student athletes over the year. I mean, there are always some outliers but the vast majority are simply good people, hard working, supportive, team oriented and excited.”

Nolte has surrounded himself

with both talented student-athletes and a committed coaching staff. Combine that with a strong base of alumni that contribute financially and organizationally to create a strong environment in which to grow the program.

“Volker [Nolte] is the heart of Western rowing,” says fifth-year rower Ian Connell. “However with the additional coaching staff including Matt Waddell and Dan Bechard we have a complete array of coaches who are capable of providing support where Volker [Nolte] sees fit.”

Nolte and his clear vision for the team has also been pivotal to the program’s success. As one of the most distinguished rowing minds in Canada, Nolte’s athletes are honored to compete for him.

“It’s really hard to give an answer that can fully describe what Volker [Nolte] has done and means to this program,” says Jill Moffat, a sixth year student who rowed lightweight in this summer’s Senior World Rowing Championship. “We are so lucky to have him. Volker [Nolte] is one of the most distinguished and experienced coaches in Canada, and this shows through the way our team is run. He sets the tone for the program, and he challenges everyone to rise up and be the best athlete, teammate and person they can be.”

The team kicked off their season this weekend in Guelph, where they captured 13 firstplace finishes. Nolte expects the lightweight men and women to continue dominating this season, and will look for the heavyweights to gain valuable experience.

“The heavyweights are actually a very interesting group of talented young athletes,” says Nolte. “Now ... they need experience, they need their heads lodged and they need to dig deep so they’ll probably undergo a learning experience and some ups and down” Look for Western rowing to continue dominating in the water in 2016-17.

Rugby, tennis and more – your weekend in sports CHARLIE O’CONNOR CLARKE @CHARLIEJCLARKE With 16 teams in action this past week, there was a lot going on in the world of Mustangs athletics.

With a lot of successful teams over the weekend, it’s hard to narrow it down, but here’s the top five Western teams.

Baseball The baseball team had their doubleheader against Laurier rained out on Saturday, but they travelled to Queen’s on Sunday to take on the Gaels. The Mustangs pumped out a pair of victories at Megaffin Park in Kingston, winning 12-0 in the morning and then 12-5 later the same afternoon. Western is now 4-0 on the season, and has moved into a tie for second in Ontario University Athletics with eight points.

Women’s Rugby The women’s rugby team took home their first win of the season on Saturday, beating the Waterloo Warriors 48-0 in the pouring rain.

The shutout victory bounces the Mustangs back to 1-1 on the season after their crushing defeat at the hands of Guelph the week before. Veronica Harrigan scored two tries for Western, and as a result was named the female Mustangs athlete of the week.

Football The Mustangs rolled into Kingston on Saturday looking to spoil the Queen’s Gaels’ home opener in their newly renovated Richardson Stadium. Some timely field goals and great rushing play led to a 27-13 victory for Western in a nationally-televised game. Kicker Marc Liegghio scored 11 points in the win, as the Mustangs improved to 3-1 and moved into a tie for first in OUA football.

Tennis Both men’s and women’s tennis opened their seasons this weekend with a trip to Toronto to play the Varsity Blues, as well as the York Lions. The men defeated both opponents 6-1, impressing against the national silver medalists from the University of Toronto. The women fell to York – the national champions – but beat Toronto.

Men’s Lacrosse The Mustangs men’s lacrosse team played twice on the weekend, looking to improve on their 1-1 record.

They first defeated the McMaster Marauders convincingly on Friday, by a score of 13-6, and then completely dominated Laurentian on Sunday, winning by a whopping 21 goals to 2. Western’s Cody Ward was named Mustangs male athlete of the week after his nine goals in two games, as he now leads the league with 19 total.

www.westerngazette.ca

10 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

culture

Fashion forward: simplicity at its finest

JENNY JAY GAZETTE

Oliver Stone’s ‘Snowden’ makes a hero out of a hacker ARI MATCHEN CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone STARRING: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans RATING: GGGHF Most people heard something about Edward Snowden and the National Security Agency spying scandal in 2013, whether on the evening news or from a headline on Twitter. However, the story will become more powerful and personal when seen through the eyes of one ordinary citizen in Oliver Stone’s Snowden. Half biopic and half political thriller, Snowden succeeds by turning the headlines into a gripping story, one which will leave viewers emotionally invested in its message well after the credits roll.

The film opens as Edward Snowden (Gordon-Levitt) is about to leak classified documents to the public regarding a number of global surveillance programs. The media first learned about the NSA whistleblower around this time in 2013, but the movie soon breaks away from recounting the bare facts we know and shows us what we don’t – the man himself.

Through a series of flashbacks, we learn about Snowden’s career in intelligence, which emphasizes his desire to serve his country in whatever way he can. At times, he confuses patriotism with personal ambition, which leads him to make self-centred decisions at the expense of his personal life. Gordon-Levitt’s nuanced performance brings all these competing facets of Snowden’s personality to the surface.

Snowden’s girlfriend, Lindsay Mills (Woodley), serves as his conscience throughout the film, telling him that it is okay to question your government; by the end of the film

he is repeating her words. Their relationship suffers as Snowden becomes more paranoid and controlling, and the chemistry between Gordon-Levitt and Woodley makes for a convincing and heartbreaking romance. This relationship humanizes Snowden and puts in perspective what he had to give up in order to reveal the truth to the world.

The film only suffers when it focuses too much on Snowden the intelligence worker. His various jobs seem to be repetitive, without adding much to the story. A hero is only as good as the cause he is fighting for, but at times the film glorifies Snowden while putting aside his actual mission.

Snowden is at its best when the focus shifts to the underlying moral conundrum of mass surveillance.

You are forced to consider which is more valuable: freedom or security. While Snowden tells a reporter about the danger of the government making this decision for the people, Stone masterfully provides us with visual cues that Snowden is not just speaking to a reporter; he’s speaking to us.

While the marketing materials for this film included the tagline, “It’s time to choose a side”, this is not the place to come for an even-handed debate. The film is clearly on the side of Snowden while repeatedly bashing the government. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeing.

Snowden is a powerful film that is sure to re-open the dialogue about mass surveillance. Despite its shortcomings, the ideas raised by this film make it more than just a biopic. Its ultimate success is that it leaves you eerily with more questions than answers.

You can watch Snowden at your local cinema.

BRADLEY METLIN DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR @BRADLEYMETLIN The school year has started and that means the fall TV season is finally upon us. A 2015 study from cable network FX pinpointed the number of scripted original series in the United States at 417 — not including Canadian series. Picking which ones to watch can be difficult, but here are some of the more promising ones: DESIGNATED SURVIVOR WEDNESDAY AT 10 P.M. ON ABC PREMIERES SEPT. 21 Kiefer Sutherland, previous star of 24 and Canadian leading man, stars as American Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman.

It’s a pretty low-key role in the presidential cabinet so Kirkman is picked to miss the State of the Union address and be the “designated survivor,” kept away safe in case of a cataclysmic disaster. Well, such a disaster occurs and the previously obscure Kirkman becomes president in a time of fear, instability and excitement. It looks incredibly tense and has shadows of Scandal when it was super conspiracy-obsessed.

COURTESY OF CBC

GIULIA TATANGELO CONTRIBUTOR @GAZETTECULTURE Listen up, guys of Western! A man with good style is definitely attractive. Fourth-year BMOS student Vigeash Gopal shows us how easy it is to ditch your boat shoes and look good with minimal effort. It’s all about pairing simple items to achieve an effortless but head-turning look.

So yes, it’s possible to roll out of your bed and look this good while remaining on a budget.

Vigeash started this outfit with a plain white tee, a staple item that every guy has to have in his wardrobe. A plain white shirt gives you a simple canvas to work with and allows endless possibilities.

Next, let’s talk about comfort. You probably have a day full of class and your main priority is functionality and comfort, so ditch the sloppy sweats and choose joggers instead.

Flare pants have been ditched; slim-legged pants are in. The elasticized ankles give a higher cut to the pant leg and allows you to play around with high or low cut boots.

Chelsea boots, first designed in the Victorian era, perfectly pairs with this outfit whether they’re leather, suede and even rubber.

Chelsea boots can be dressed up

•

and down while still achieving that cool street-style look.

Vigeash proves layering is key.

Throw on a light jacket to get your outfit from plain and typical to GQ potential. Leave the jacket zipped open and stick to earthy-neutral tones for this fall season.

Accessories are always importan:, they can either act as statement pieces or timeless items. Featured here is a timeless watch with striking gold detailing. The price might seem steep at first, but look at it as an investment because you will definitely get a lot of use out of it.

So, are you thinking of giving this style a try?

Vigeash suggest referring to Pinterest for style inspo! Think casual and practical.

WHERE TO GET IT: JACKET: Zara. A neutral colour such as beige allows you to infinitely match with other outfits.

WATCH: Michael Kors. Get a large face to draw in attention but a solid band to allow for versatility.

JOGGERS: Express. These easygoing pants go with everything! T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters; you name it.

SHOES: Steve Madden. High-cut shoes are all the rage now. These suede shoes add texture to your outfit.

SURVIVOR: MILLENNIALS VS. GEN X WEDNESDAY AT 8 P.M. ON CBS PREMIERES SEPT. 21 Yes, Survivor is still on TV. While the days of this show topping the television ratings and dominating the water cooler discussion are long behind it, this series has picked a theme that is generating buzz and may just be an interesting cultural experiment. Pitting a group of hard-working, resilient, tough Gen Xers up against spoiled, narcissistic and entitled millennials will almost surely result in good TV. And if that fizzles out, at least a cyclone forces both tribes to uproot and move on the second day.

CRISIS IN SIX SCENES AMAZON VIDEO ALL EPISODES ON SEPT. 30 The notable auteur and creative force Woody Allen has crafted a six-episode series after reported difficulties. This is the first time Allen has written and directed episodes for a TV format. He also is set to star in the series (exciting, since he hasn’t had many on-screen roles in the past few years) alongside comedy legend Elaine May and Miley Cyrus. Who knows what this show will hold, but those pining for a Hannah Montana revival might witness Cyrus return to form as she embraces comedy acting again.

KIM’S CONVENIENCE TUESDAYS AT 9 P.M. ON CBC PREMIERES OCT. 4 Adapted from the 2011 play that set the Toronto Fringe Festival ablaze, Kim’s Convenience centres on the Kims, a Korean-Canadian family operating a convenience store in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. It is rare to see Asian families on television portrayed with nuance and a lack of stereotyping, so there are high hopes for this new series.

From the previews released so far, it looks to be a delightful new series to add to the canon of Canadian sitcoms.

INSECURE SUNDAYS AT 10:30 P.M. ON HBO PREMIERS OCT. 9 Issa Rae has created and will star in this new comedy series on HBO, partly adapted form her notable web series Awkward Black Girl.

If the brief trailer released is any indication, Insecure looks to be a humorous look on the experience of being black in America. Rae also becomes one of the few black women to anchor her own sitcom both on-screen and creatively, so snaps to HBO for giving this series the green light.

KIM’S CONVENIENCE IS THE FUNNY STORY OF THE KIMS RUNNING A CONVENIENCE STORE IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.

• www.westerngazette.ca

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 • 11

culture

Kim and Tiq Milan discuss intersectionalty

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE

ANNIE RUETER CULTURE EDITOR @ANNIERUETER1 Kim Katrin Milan and Tiq Milan are powerhouses. Journalists, activists and educators, the married couple speak about intersectionality and creating love in black queer communities through changing the culture of lovelessness created by stereotypes, sexism and racism.

Dressed in coordinating outfits, Kim and Tiq are united both visually and in their message. After addressing the crowd of first-year students and sophs at One Love, Kim and Tiq settle down to answer a few questions about their work and how to create the best university experience possible for yourself and your peers.

THE GAZETTE: You touched on a lot of different issues (racism, sexism, trans discrimination). What is one overarching message you want students to take away?

KIM: I think the reframing of the golden rule is the most important to me: to really treat people the way they want to be treated… I think that [is one] of the best ways we start to engage in everyday allyship, to really deconstruct these ideas that we have around one-size-fits-all approach to people.

TIQ: Creating space for people to be who they are and love themselves is the best way to go about your college career – and also just about growing as a human being.

WAS THERE A MOMENT WHEN YOU CHANGED HOW YOU FELT ABOUT YOURSELF IN A POSITIVE WAY BECAUSE OF SOMETHING SOMEONE SAID TO YOU? KIM: For a very long time I was talking about these issues – talking about racism, talking about sexism, and really finding in my community of friends people were like “Ugh, there’s Kim, talking about these issues. She’s such a buzz kill.” It was

when I started writing these things online… and the first time that I wrote something and someone who was, like in England, was like, “That means so much to me that you said that. I feel the same way.”

TIQ: I think for me as a trans guy, when I first came out as trans I didn’t know any other trans people. I didn’t even know black trans people existed. And I found a Yahoo! group of black trans men. It was like 400 guys in that group. And that really let me know that I was possible.

WHAT IS ONE WAY THAT STUDENTS CAN BREAK DOWN THESE COMPLEX AND SOMETIMES OVERWHELMING ISSUES TO BE AN ALLY IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY? KIM: The once piece is start where you are, do what you can, use what you have. When I started The People Project years ago… I didn’t know anything really about the issues I was talking about yet. I really just started in one place with the people

around me… in a community of LGBTQ folks.

TIQ: I think it’s important for young people to just sit back and listen.

Sometimes you may not have the right questions, you may not know what to say, but just sit back and listen to what people have to say. I think it’s also important to be intentional about creating your social circle that’s really diverse and that’s really inclusive – KIM: That’s huge.

TIQ: We can get to a place where it’s so easy just to be around people that we are used to… And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes problematic when you start to become deliberately or unconsciously exclusive.

Kim and Tiq Milan’s work is widely acclaimed and is accessible through Kim’s Facebook page, Tiq’s Facebook page, as well as Kim’s Twitter and Tiq’s Twitter pages.

DEFINITIONS ALLYSHIP: I would define ‘allyship’ simply as the state of being an ally. I might… define allies as people who work together for a common goal, even when that goal appears on the surface more intrinsically meaningful to some of those people than to others. An example there would be African Americans and Jewish liberals working together on the civil rights movement. – Prof. Wendy Pearson, associate professor and undergraduate chair of women’s studies and feminist research.

INTERSECTIONALITY: In terms of identity politics, intersectionality recognizes that everyone has multiple identities and that these combine in complex ways, especially when considered in relation to social, cultural, and economic power. – Prof.

Wendy Pearson.

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SAMAH ALI CULTURE EDITOR @SISTERSAMAH PROGRAM: The Get Down STARS: Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, Herizen F. Guardiola, Jaden Smith NETWORK: Netflix Original SEASON: One season GENRE: Drama/Musical SYNOPSIS: In the era between disco and rap, a group of teenagers navigate through the Bronx as they discover the birth of Hip Hop. MY TAKE: THIS SHOW IS BOMB. Slow, but bomb.

With only six episodes, its clear that Netflix was taking a chance on this show. There was no advertisement or buzz until its release on Netflix, consequentially causing no one to know it exists underneath the buzz of another Netflix Original Stranger Things but wow. The Get Down is worth your time.

It’s over the top and thematically sound; the writing and acting is impeccable and the music is transformative. Primarily following Ezekiel (Smith), an orphan expressing his love and loss through poetry, the story takes you on a whirlwind once he and his friends meet a Bronx legend Shaolin Fantastic (Moore). They discover the underground world of b-boys and DJ sets, MC competitions and scratching

records. They eventually decide they want a piece of the pie to get out of the Bronx and with Ezekiel’s love interest Mylene (Guardiola) doing the same with disco, the group of teenagers venture through pockets of New York tackling drugs peddling, rapping and corporate greed in a predominantly white Manhattan.

Once you’re brought to the get down you become enthralled in the show, but with the first episode an hour and 30 minutes long it takes a while to get into. The show doesn’t really pick up until the fourth episode, causing you to coast through the first few episodes, but once The Get Down hits its stride it’s good. So good.

The writing is flawless throughout as it leaves hints for you to pick up on each character’s backstory and development despite it’s limited episodes. My personal favourite example of such development is Dizzee (Smith) as his self-actualization comes through a beautifully-shot scene in a dark, crowded disco. This show has everything going for it, but the writing makes it an unmatched Netflix Original.

WORTH THE NETFLIX: Yes. It’s also a great history lesson as Hip Hop legend Nas narrates each episode.

WORTH THE CHILL: If horny teenagers and angst poems turn you on, then sure.

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PUT YOUR SUDOKU SAVVY TO THE TEST! To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes.

For solution, turn to page 3

www.westerngazette.ca

12 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

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PHOTO OF THE DAY

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CROSSWORD BY EUGENE SHEFFER

MAAILAH BLACKWOOD GAZETTE MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE. Take a walk around campus to find some hidden gems – like Huron’s inscription pictured above.

WORD SEARCH

NEW PARENT CUDDLE WORD SEARCH DIAPERS ECZEMA ASSESSMENT FATHER BABYPROOF FEEDINGS BATHING IMMUNIZATION BEDDING INFANT BONDING IRRITABLE BURPING LAYETTE CHECKUP MONITOR COLIC MOTHER CRIB NAP

265 & 267 – UCC BUILDING CREATIVESERVICES-USC.CA 519-661-3578

PRICES STARTING AT $5 SQ/Ft.

NAVEL NURSERY NURSING

PACIFIER PARENT POSTPARTUM

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PRECAUTION SAFETY SLEEPING

SOOTHE STROLLER SWADDLE

TESTING WAIL

For solution go to westerngazette.ca/solution

Great Western Clothing

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